Serbian student runners welcomed by Ulm Mayor Ansbacher

A group of some 20 Serbian university students are running a relay marathon from Novi Sad to Brussels to deliver a detailed account of the situation in Serbia to European Union officials.

Ansbacher said the students deserve respect for their commitment to achieving a just, democratic society. “Your trip to Brussels leaves a deep impression and affects us deeply. What’s especially important is that violence against peaceful demonstrations can never be accepted. In Serbia, the right to free expression and gatherings must be fully protected and respected as guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. We have to work on Europe’s democratic future together, bravely and with confidence in your country,” the mayor said.

He also pronounced the word Pumpaj (pump in Serbian) the slogan of the student protests in Serbia.

The students and the nurses, drivers and others traveling with them were put up for the night with local Serbian and German families.